Such dollies serve the purpose of bringing the initiation or starting strand on the casting platform into a position in front of the strand casting mold. In this position, the initiation strand end is lowered into the strand casting mold with small movements of the initiation strand and/or dolly past the walls of the strand casting mold, which are not to be touched. The end of the initiation strand is lowered through the strand casting mold to the support roller stand arranged underneath, until it rests between the driven rollers of the support roller stand, and the initiation strand head, located at the bottom opening of the strand casting mold, has reached the position where it is sealed against the wall of the strand casting mold for the cast-on operation. The dolly thus serves primarily for the introduction of the initiation strand "from the top" into the strand casting mold, and secondly as a means of transport picking up the initiation strand at the casting platform edge from a hoisting unit, and transporting it to the strand casting mold. It has been suggested at times to have the initiation strand approach the strand casting mold suspended from a crane, and lower it vertically into the mold. It is understood that the crane for such operation must have a hoisting range which matches at least the length of the initiation strand. Such height is usually not found in most crane installations, and the dolly thus becomes an important piece of equipment for the operation of the strand casting plant.
A dolly for initiation strands of the above-mentioned kind is known in German disclosure 1.961.443 in which the dolly travels on the casting platform. However, details of such dolly are not shown and are not described.